Boomerang, Author unknown

Chapter 2
Boomerang, Part II

Chapter Description: Author unknown.

Part II

The School Board of Scottsdale set their meeting for Thursday of that week, wanting an entire weekend to be able to set their policies in motion. Invited to attend were all high school parents and a few middle school boys who had been repeated over once or twice, as well as the faculties of all the high schools in the area. It was quite the crowded Hall, a real standing room only affair. But with all the small children sitting in attendance, it seemed more like the crowd attending a Sesame Street production. And that was precisely how Jason felt sitting in one of the aisles toward the front with his Mom right beside. His childish feet were so small they didn’t reach the floor so he had to be content to swing them back and forth.

Talk about 3 miserable days.

The Pull Ups had been bad enough, but they were only the beginning. No, once Jason got home, Mom put down the ground rules. Number one, Jason wasn’t allowed out of the house unless she accompanied him. Period! Not even into the back yard of their home. Not to the park, not to Andy Clemmon’s swimming pool which he’d been swimming in for almost 5 years, not to the gas station down the street. Nowhere!

Number two, now Jason had a curfew, except she called it Bedtime. 7:00! 7:00!?? What the hell was up with that? Last and by far the worst, she wanted Jason to tell her when he had to use the bathroom! So she could follow him in and, get this, "See if you’re wiping the right way." Mom even wanted to help. Help!? What kind of help did she think he needed?

He also had to use a child sized Potty chair which she bought before they left Wal-Mart. So, for the past three days, every couple of hours, Jason would have to let her know that he had to make a stop and the two of them would make quite the entourage traipsing into the bathroom. During the days, Jason had forgotten to go two times because he was busy doing other things and had tinkled in his Pull Up. Mom had tsked at him and taken him to get a bath before putting on another.

At least Pam had been given the week off by her employers at the J.C. Penny’s. Like the rest of the country, families all over the place were scrambling to make arrangements for their pint sized members. Pam had divorced Jason’s Dad right after Jason was born and they never spoke about him. In all intents and purposes, it was only Pam and Jason together in the world. So whatever decisions they came up with, it would be determined by the two of them. At least, that’s what his Mom kept telling him. But up till this point, it seemed that she was doing all of the decision making with no input from her son.

Jason stared forlornly at the podium on the stage of the Hall. In precisely five minutes, the School Superintendent would make a ruling regarding where he would spend his days when his Mom finally went back to work. So far, most school districts around the country had made almost identical decisions.

"These are children," they had said. "Very small children. Our campuses were not designed with four year olds in mind for their use. The desks are too big, the doorknobs too high, the stairs will be a traffic jam. In the end, we’re afraid alternative educational programs will need to be implemented."

Basically, the schools were saying thanks for stopping by but we can’t take you. Go somewhere else.

Jason only hoped that Scottsdale would be different.

"Look, honey, here he comes," Pam shook Jason out of his revelry. Jason watched as Dr. Bill Cunningham, School Superintendent of Scottsdale Schools made his way to the front of the stage. He self consciously straightened his tie and coughed politely into his right fist.

"Good evening, ladies and. . .er gentlemen. I’m sure I don’t need to read the articles and minutes for why we’re having this meeting tonight. I can see by how many youngsters are here that everybody is pretty much aware of how serious this situation is that this entire nation is facing today." He stopped to cough again. "But be that as it may, a decision still must be reached. For the past 3 days, the School Board had gone over and over exactly what our needs are as a school district and what the needs of our student body happens to be. And we have reached what we hope is a fair and equitable verdict."

Jason wasn’t the only set of ears pricked up at this point. He knew that many other boys in the room were all but holding their breaths in anticipation.

"Let me be frank," Dr. Cunningham continued. "We are dealing with children." Jason felt an icy cold grip of fear wrap itself around his chest. "Very small children. And as much as I would love to say that we have a place for all children in our schools, I’m afraid that we do not have a place for these children. At least not now."

"But Dr. Cunningham, where can we send our children if not to school?" someone shouted from the back of the room.

"At this very moment, the United States Congress is passing emergency legislation on that very point.

It’s called the Kensing-Haberly Act, but we’ve started calling it the Daycare Act."

Many people started talking at once, quickly raising the level of noise in the already full Hall. Imagine someone shouting, followed by three people shouting, until an entire room full of people began screaming at the top of their lungs. Then multiply that by 4. It was worse.

Dr. Cunningham raised his hands plaintively above his head. "Please, people, have order. I know this is difficult, but you must understand the position that we are all placed in. Schools are built for a specific size. In this case, most high schools construct their facilities for students of 5 feet through 6 foot five. And as much as we would love to have them, your boys are no longer anywhere near that height."

"Couldn’t they be in classrooms downstairs?"

"There are no desks their size," Cunningham answered. "Can they carry the textbooks they would need to class? They can’t reach the lockers at above 3 feet in height. The doorknobs are far beyond their reach. What if there was a fire or other emergency? Don’t you see," he begged, "these are the very questions the Board has been faced wit for three days."

"But Daycare? Isaac was taking Calculus last week. Are you saying he’ll be going back to his ’ABC’s’?" That had to be Helen Trample, Isaac Trample’s Mom, Jason thought to himself. If there was an over achiever in the senior class, it wore the face of Isaac Trample, His mother must had been beside herself with the current state of affairs. Isaac had just been offered a scholarship to Arizona State. Now the only way he was going was if his Mother carried him to class every day.

"Look, I wish there were some other way but be reasonable," Dr. Cunningham pleaded. "How would our teachers be able to work if they have to change their entire practices in the same classroom to fit students with different needs? They can’t reach the counters for labs, they can’t play sports with the girls or they’ll be trampled. My P.E. teachers have let me know they won’t start having Play Time with the little boys. As much as I wish it were otherwise, there is no way we can take these children in."

Cunningham continued to feed questions for a few more minutes while Jason tuned the world out.

Daycare? It wasn’t possible! They couldn’t send all the boys in high school, could they? To do what? What would happen? Would they have to do the same things as the other little kids? Coloring time? Activity time? Music time? (Shudder) Nap time? And when? Pam couldn’t stay home form work much longer. As of Monday, Jason needed to be somewhere and she’d let him know in no uncertain terms he couldn’t be by himself. So no staying home alone.

"As I was saying earlier, Congress is passing laws to place all your sons in Daycare centers free of charge. They are still entitled to a free and open public education and we know that many of you can’t afford to pay for their care. However, for those of you who are able, we sincerely hope you will assist the government in this endeavor."

Cunningham paced to the opposite side of the stage. "The government hopes you will continue to bring your children in for check ups with a pediatrician at least every 2 months. Again, if expense is a problem, let us know and we’ll help. We need to get as much information about this change as we can."

Jason shook his head. "Mom, he doesn’t mean it, does he? We’re not really going to have to go to Daycare are we?"

Pam held a hand to quiet Jason down while she continued to listen to the superintendent.

"As soon as this situation works itself out, we’ll be happy to bring your boys back. But for now, this really is the best solution for all involved."

"Better for who?" an angry voice demanded. "You want Johnny to go and be babysat for hours each day so you don’t have to puzzle out the details of teaching him in your precious school!"

"Ma’am, I assure that is not the case," Dr. Cunningham scolded. "But let’s play just suppose, all right, to assuage your ill tempered feelings? The national average seems to be about 5 percent of the boys regressing the state of two year olds. That includes the physiology of a two year old. The last time I checked, the average age of toilet training was 3 and a half, fully a year and a half after their present state. Now while I’m sure your son is just fine, many other children will not be so easily cared for. And as much as some would like otherwise, my schools are not and shall not become a nursery!"

"May I speak, Dr. Cunningham?" a hand lifted from directly behind Jason. Dr. Cunningham nodded his assent. "Thank you, my name is Linda Caroll. I’ve been an educator for over twenty years. I’m proud of my job and the work I do. But I’m not a babysitter. I don’t get paid to sing songs and kiss boo boos. I raised my two girls and I’ve changed my last diaper. I’m sorry, will some of those parents be sending a changing bag with them to the school? Will we have five minutes out of each period for a potty check? As I was walking in, I noticed quite a few children with some sort of Pamper on. In fact, the boy right in front of me is wearing one right now, am I right?"

Jason tried to duck his head but the damage was done. Everywhere around the room, people were turning their heads and staring. Worse, many recognized Pam and figured out who "the boy" was. Jason’s face continued to turn a beet red.

"My son is wearing a Pull Up, thank you very much," Pam snarled. "And he’s only gone pee-pee in it twice this week!" Pam snapped, her voice rising indignantly.

"Mom!" Jason whimpered. All over the room, people started laughing. Even some of the little boys joined in.

"I rest my case," Ms. Caroll said and sat down.

"I think that will conclude us for tonight," Dr. Cunningham finished. "We’ll have an official statement for the press in tomorrow’s paper, but I thank you all for coming and wish you well."

The room began to break up and as they headed for the exits, Jason felt himself get jostled from behind. "Oh, I’m sorry, are you all right?" a voice asked in his ear. With a start, Jason recognized the voice. Terri Blake, like one of the three hottest girls in the junior class. The only reason she wasn’t Captain of the Cheerleading squad was because it interfered with her other jobs at the school paper and on the soccer team.

"Are you OK?" she repeated again.

"Jason? Honey, answer her question," his Mother demanded from behind.

"Jason Carlson? Is that you!? God, look at you, you’re the cutest little thing." Terri dimpled at him. "My brother was in your class, but my Mom and Dad wouldn’t let him come tonight because it was so late. Man, you’re adorable!"

"Jason," Pam prodded from his back," tell her thank you."

"T-t-t-hanks," Jason mumbled.

"Hey, Ms. C., if you ever need a sitter, you know for Jay, let me know. I’d be happy to take him off your hands for a couple of hours. He doesn’t need, you know, Huggies or anything, does he? ’cause I heard that some of them do."

Jason thanked whatever God was up there that Terri apparently hadn’t seen the moment in the Hall.

"Oh, Jason doesn’t wear those things, but I do have in Pull Up’s, in case of an accident," Pam answered.

"Oh, I guess you’re a Big Kid now, huh Jason?" Terri giggled. "Well, I mean it, if you do need someone to watch him, give me a call. Heck, I’ll look after him even he does need a Pamper, just because he’s sooo cute!" She waved as she walked off.

"Wasn’t that nice of her sweetie?" Pam asked. "Well come on, it’s way past your bedtime. Let’s go home."